Hello everybody, hope all is well~
I've been geting a lot of PMs from people who are interested in moving here and a lot of inquiries about life in general down here. I'm definitely no expert when it comes to the topic because there are countless others who have been down here for years and who have a lot more experience and insight when it comes to life in the DR. But seeing as how my fingers are incredibly tired from responding to every PM, I thought I would just jot down a few words and post them for all to see and hopefully that will suffice for now. I swear, I'm getting Carpal Tunnels syndome from all the responses I've given.
I've been down here for mas o menos 5 months after having moved here with no previous visits and no real knowledge of this country. A lot of people I've encountered have exclaimed " Wow! You're incredibly brave!" but I always correct them and say " No, just incredibly stupid". And it was - it was an extremely stupid thing to do and I wouldn't reccomend it to anyone. But lucky for me, I think it was the best decision I ever made. I absolutely love it here and still wake up with a huge smile on my face every day. I'm home.
I've made some mistakes here, I think we all do, but with each mistake, I became a little wiser. When I first arrived, I was a bit lonely and became friends with some less than scrupulous people. Nothing bad happened but I quickly learned that association is everything here. I had a sankie friend and a friend who was deported from NYC. At the time, I thought they were nice people and perhaps a bit misunderstood by everyone else. Of course I thought " Oh, I'm sure the're different. And besides, doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?" Wrong, wrong, wrong. Absolute rubbish but it's a mistake I won't be making again. Now, I choose my friends wisely because I know that staying home with a good book is not the end of the world. I don't have the need anymore to be out all the time, those days are out of my system. The first two months here were kind of like a vacation for me and I did a lot of things to excess. Too much drinking, too much smoking, going out every night of the week and so on. And I'm sure Im not the only one who has done that, I'm fairly certain that I have a heck of a lot of colleagues out there. But now that the newness of living in "paradise" has worn off, it's simply a matter of living a normal life. And oh my goodness, do I ever love my life.
Another mistake I made was thinking that I would do okay with sharing a house with roommates. Nope, not for me. That's the fastest way to destroy a friendship, IMO. So if you're thinking of doing that, please be careful. There are a lot of places to live here, you just have to look hard because most rentals are not advertised. Some of the most beautiful apartments I have seen are in buildings that you would never even give a second glance at. They're out there, I promise. You will need to enlist the help of a friend if you don't speak Spanish but finding a place to live is not as daunting as it may seem to you right now.
I was lucky enough to work at a bar in POP for one of the most wonderful people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting (Hi Joanne!) and I believe that my life now would be a lot different if I had never worked there. It is unbelievable how many people I met through my old job and believe me - it's so important to meet people here because at the end of the day, it's all about networking. And not only that - I also made some genuine friends there, people who I hold very close to my heart. I don't have a lot of friends here because I'm so wary of getting hurt or associating with the wrong types but when it comes to close relationships, quantity does not hold a candle to quality.
I've been here for five months and have only been to Playa Dorada two times. I know a lot of the expats absolutely love it and while I think it's a lovely place, it's just not my cup of tea. I don't do many touristy things as a rule of thumb. The way I rationalize it is something along the lines of truly feeling that while I am living here, I need to take advantage of the country, the people and the culture. If and when I return to America to live, I can go to a million places that aren't that much unlike Playa Dorada. I can find a Hemingway's or a Mangu anywhere but I can't find another POP. And again, I really do love this place. I think everyone needs to get out of the resorts and see the country for what it really is. I think it's absolutely breathtaking and I know a lot of other expats share my sentiments.
When I came here, I had a good head on my shoulders when it came to dating. I didn't rush into anything with the first hot guy that I came across. In July, I had a couple of dates with a local guy but I had to end things because there was no way things ever would have worked. I hate to be stereotypical but alas, he was just another guy who didn't have any ambition to speak of and was also uneducated and unmotivated. I could never be with someone who doesn't love life as much as I do.
I have been dating a Dominican for a couple of months now and while we are taking things very slowly, I'm deliriously happy and am finding myself falling a bit more in love every day. I'm the biggest cynic in the world when it comes to dating here so it took me awhile to let down my guard with him. I'm still a pesimist at heart so of course I expect the worse but at the same time, I think that both my guy and I are extremely lucky to have found each other and I truly hope things work out. He works very hard as a police officer, is well educated and also treats me like a queen. I've never asked him for anything but he takes really good care of me and I don't want for anything. I lost my phone, he bought me a new one. I broke my radio, he replaced it with a better one. Even the grumpiest people I know are saying things like "Sunnie honey, hold onto this one, he's a keeper". And I hope he is. I have a good feeling about this one. And I would feel silly if said " Oh - and he always pays when we go out" like it was some wonderful quality. Well duh - that's the way it's supposed to work. I don't give him extra points for always paying because that's what I expect and that's the way it should be. I'm old fashioned about that kind of thing. But I'm not with him for monetary reasons, I'm with him because he's a good man and he has a good heart and I have never been around somebody who can make me laugh so much or who makes me feel so good about life. Most of the time, we just hang out at his place or on the Malecon and talk, tell stories or whatever. A pretty tranquil relationship but that's the way I like it. So for all of you girls who have asked me about dating - I realy don't recommend datng anyone who works in the tourism industry because I've simply heard too many horror stories and tales of woe. If you want to find a good man, they do exist but you have to be selective and you have to demand to be treated like a lady. And the first time a guy asks you out and then asks later if you have any money, give him his walking papers.
My boyfriend speaks no English so I have picked up the language here really, really well. I'm not fluent but I'm on my way. I've tried to spend as much time as possible with non-English speakers and I've found that helps tremendously. If anyone is struggling with the language, I would advise throwing all those " Learn Spanish in 30 Days " books in the garbage, fire the tutor and find some friends who don't know a word of English. It's unbelievable how much I have learned by doing just that.
A lot of people have asked me about finding work and the only thing I can really offer up is that once you are here, the most important thing you can do is network. Get out and meet people and try to spend some time with those who have been here for a long time and have experience and know their way around. When I arrived, I started working at the bar and was able to come in contact with a lot of people who knew so many things that I didn't know. And while I don't work there anymore, I still think it was a great experience and I'm grateful that Joanne took such good care of me while I got on my feet.
Sorry to ramble, hopefully I have addressed all the topics that people have inquired about. Now that I've written this, maybe I will get a reprieve from all the PMs and sore fingers and wrists
Take care and best of luck,
Sunnie
I've been geting a lot of PMs from people who are interested in moving here and a lot of inquiries about life in general down here. I'm definitely no expert when it comes to the topic because there are countless others who have been down here for years and who have a lot more experience and insight when it comes to life in the DR. But seeing as how my fingers are incredibly tired from responding to every PM, I thought I would just jot down a few words and post them for all to see and hopefully that will suffice for now. I swear, I'm getting Carpal Tunnels syndome from all the responses I've given.
I've been down here for mas o menos 5 months after having moved here with no previous visits and no real knowledge of this country. A lot of people I've encountered have exclaimed " Wow! You're incredibly brave!" but I always correct them and say " No, just incredibly stupid". And it was - it was an extremely stupid thing to do and I wouldn't reccomend it to anyone. But lucky for me, I think it was the best decision I ever made. I absolutely love it here and still wake up with a huge smile on my face every day. I'm home.
I've made some mistakes here, I think we all do, but with each mistake, I became a little wiser. When I first arrived, I was a bit lonely and became friends with some less than scrupulous people. Nothing bad happened but I quickly learned that association is everything here. I had a sankie friend and a friend who was deported from NYC. At the time, I thought they were nice people and perhaps a bit misunderstood by everyone else. Of course I thought " Oh, I'm sure the're different. And besides, doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?" Wrong, wrong, wrong. Absolute rubbish but it's a mistake I won't be making again. Now, I choose my friends wisely because I know that staying home with a good book is not the end of the world. I don't have the need anymore to be out all the time, those days are out of my system. The first two months here were kind of like a vacation for me and I did a lot of things to excess. Too much drinking, too much smoking, going out every night of the week and so on. And I'm sure Im not the only one who has done that, I'm fairly certain that I have a heck of a lot of colleagues out there. But now that the newness of living in "paradise" has worn off, it's simply a matter of living a normal life. And oh my goodness, do I ever love my life.
Another mistake I made was thinking that I would do okay with sharing a house with roommates. Nope, not for me. That's the fastest way to destroy a friendship, IMO. So if you're thinking of doing that, please be careful. There are a lot of places to live here, you just have to look hard because most rentals are not advertised. Some of the most beautiful apartments I have seen are in buildings that you would never even give a second glance at. They're out there, I promise. You will need to enlist the help of a friend if you don't speak Spanish but finding a place to live is not as daunting as it may seem to you right now.
I was lucky enough to work at a bar in POP for one of the most wonderful people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting (Hi Joanne!) and I believe that my life now would be a lot different if I had never worked there. It is unbelievable how many people I met through my old job and believe me - it's so important to meet people here because at the end of the day, it's all about networking. And not only that - I also made some genuine friends there, people who I hold very close to my heart. I don't have a lot of friends here because I'm so wary of getting hurt or associating with the wrong types but when it comes to close relationships, quantity does not hold a candle to quality.
I've been here for five months and have only been to Playa Dorada two times. I know a lot of the expats absolutely love it and while I think it's a lovely place, it's just not my cup of tea. I don't do many touristy things as a rule of thumb. The way I rationalize it is something along the lines of truly feeling that while I am living here, I need to take advantage of the country, the people and the culture. If and when I return to America to live, I can go to a million places that aren't that much unlike Playa Dorada. I can find a Hemingway's or a Mangu anywhere but I can't find another POP. And again, I really do love this place. I think everyone needs to get out of the resorts and see the country for what it really is. I think it's absolutely breathtaking and I know a lot of other expats share my sentiments.
When I came here, I had a good head on my shoulders when it came to dating. I didn't rush into anything with the first hot guy that I came across. In July, I had a couple of dates with a local guy but I had to end things because there was no way things ever would have worked. I hate to be stereotypical but alas, he was just another guy who didn't have any ambition to speak of and was also uneducated and unmotivated. I could never be with someone who doesn't love life as much as I do.
I have been dating a Dominican for a couple of months now and while we are taking things very slowly, I'm deliriously happy and am finding myself falling a bit more in love every day. I'm the biggest cynic in the world when it comes to dating here so it took me awhile to let down my guard with him. I'm still a pesimist at heart so of course I expect the worse but at the same time, I think that both my guy and I are extremely lucky to have found each other and I truly hope things work out. He works very hard as a police officer, is well educated and also treats me like a queen. I've never asked him for anything but he takes really good care of me and I don't want for anything. I lost my phone, he bought me a new one. I broke my radio, he replaced it with a better one. Even the grumpiest people I know are saying things like "Sunnie honey, hold onto this one, he's a keeper". And I hope he is. I have a good feeling about this one. And I would feel silly if said " Oh - and he always pays when we go out" like it was some wonderful quality. Well duh - that's the way it's supposed to work. I don't give him extra points for always paying because that's what I expect and that's the way it should be. I'm old fashioned about that kind of thing. But I'm not with him for monetary reasons, I'm with him because he's a good man and he has a good heart and I have never been around somebody who can make me laugh so much or who makes me feel so good about life. Most of the time, we just hang out at his place or on the Malecon and talk, tell stories or whatever. A pretty tranquil relationship but that's the way I like it. So for all of you girls who have asked me about dating - I realy don't recommend datng anyone who works in the tourism industry because I've simply heard too many horror stories and tales of woe. If you want to find a good man, they do exist but you have to be selective and you have to demand to be treated like a lady. And the first time a guy asks you out and then asks later if you have any money, give him his walking papers.
My boyfriend speaks no English so I have picked up the language here really, really well. I'm not fluent but I'm on my way. I've tried to spend as much time as possible with non-English speakers and I've found that helps tremendously. If anyone is struggling with the language, I would advise throwing all those " Learn Spanish in 30 Days " books in the garbage, fire the tutor and find some friends who don't know a word of English. It's unbelievable how much I have learned by doing just that.
A lot of people have asked me about finding work and the only thing I can really offer up is that once you are here, the most important thing you can do is network. Get out and meet people and try to spend some time with those who have been here for a long time and have experience and know their way around. When I arrived, I started working at the bar and was able to come in contact with a lot of people who knew so many things that I didn't know. And while I don't work there anymore, I still think it was a great experience and I'm grateful that Joanne took such good care of me while I got on my feet.
Sorry to ramble, hopefully I have addressed all the topics that people have inquired about. Now that I've written this, maybe I will get a reprieve from all the PMs and sore fingers and wrists
Take care and best of luck,
Sunnie